Mets Morning News: Izzy Doesn't Want To Be Traded, Futures Game, Hitting

The Mets finished the first half of the season with a 46-45 record.

From Mets.com

According to the Daily News, Jason Isringhausen asked general manager Sandy Alderson not to trade him.

"I have two places in my heart," he said. "St. Louis, because I'm from there, and New York, because this is where I started. Those are my two favorite spots, and I don't think I'm going back to St. Louis anytime soon. And I love it here."

"To be able to get close, or maybe even make the playoffs, coming from a team that wasn't supposed to do anything, that's fun," he said. "If there is a chance that we can do that, I want to be a part of it."

2010 first round pick Matt Harvey got the save for USA's 6-2 victory over the World in the Futures Game.

Hitting coach Dave Hudgens, and his emphasis on plate discipline, has helped the Mets offense in a big way in 2011.

In 2010, the Mets were a team of hackers, ranking among the worst teams in the N.L. in the percentage of pitches swung at outside the strike zone. But they have a new identity this season.

Entering Sunday, they had swung at only 29% of pitches outside the strike zone, the third lowest rate in the N.L. As a result, they led the league with 320 walks and ranked second with a .333 on-base percentage.